Sports Cars under £30,000 in 2019

Great Britain is arguably the only country in the world where you can buy interesting cars at relatively low prices. Used sports cars can be had for £1,000, but if you want a reliable daily driver with modern comforts, here are six sports cars you can buy for under £30,000.

Fiat 124
The Fiat 124 is a convertible sports car for everyone over 30 years of age. It was co-developed with a certain Japanese manufacturer and features an Abarth engine. It has a fruity Italian exhaust note and open-top-only configuration. The range-topping Lusso Plus trim with a Bose audio system can be had for just over £23,000.

Mazda MX-5
The MX-5 is a 124 cousin and they have similarities in their proportions. But with a different engine and weight distribution and chassis setup, the MX-5 is the more precise car to drive. It abstains from excess and masters balance – of power and dynamics.

Toyota GT86
This is the car to buy if you want to put in a few track days, or simply just have some fun! The GT86 invites modification but doesn’t demand it. You can turn this into a pretty quick car if you put a bit more money towards it but that’s not really what this car is about. It has a well-balanced chassis and sound fundamentals in the form of an engine up front and rear-wheel drive. The flat-four 2.0 gives the car 205 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque. A close-ratio six-speed transmission makes the car quick enough to 60 in 7.9 seconds and the overall chassis dynamics are exemplary.

Audi TT Coupe
Ok, so the Audi is about £2,000 over the limit, but a mint, used model can be had for under £30k. The TT Coupe has a 197 hp engine in the 40 TFSI guise. The base model looks pretty in its own right, sharp like an evening suit, even with its 18″ wheels. The headlamps have DRLs and are exclusive to the Sport trim, as is the sport suspension raised by 10mm. As with most Audi’s, this car is very refined and a nice place to be to soak up some spirited miles.

Lotus Elise 1.6
This is probably the best car you can buy for less than £30k, and our car of choice, providing you don’t mind an absent equipment list. What you get in the base model Elise is a 1.6-litre engine with a hollow rumble of an exhaust note, and an aluminium bonded chassis. Despite just 134 bhp of power, this car can do 60 mph in 6.0 seconds. These days that doesn’t sound that impressive, but when you consider you are sat pretty much on the floor it doesn’t half give a great driving sensation! If you are looking for the best in driver engagement, the Elise offers it like no other.